"What's the Basic DIY Home Studio Equipment I Need to Produce Music or Make Beats?"

Do you want to set up your own DIY home studio and don't know where to even begin?

You can think of your DIY home studio as an open, ongoing project, rather than a one-time investment.

First
you get all the music equipment and software you really need to make
music, then improve your project studio slowly as you go along. You
want to however research and plan your studio well before you start to
purchase gear because mistakes could cost you dearly down the line.

"What Do You Need for a Home Studio Setup?"

To get started with music production you can do so with just a laptop, audio interface, DAW software and some headphones. That's the bare minimum to start producing beats or electronic music. It'll be difficult to get quality mixes with just headphones and you cannot record in this case, so sooner or later you'll want to invest in a few more components for your home studio.

So, to TL;DR answer the question:

"What Do You Need for a Home Studio Setup?"

Answer: Any serious beginner producer or beatmaker will need the following list of home studio equipment and the accompanying accessories for each:

Music Production Computer

Audio Interface

DAW Software

Studio Monitors

MIDI Controller

A Few Microphones

Now, of course you can get away without the microphones if you don't plan to record anything and the MIDI controller is sort of optional but useful.

Now, while you can get started with home music production with just a computer, audio interface, DAW software and studio monitors, there are some other things to consider if you plan to produce and mix professional-level music. More on that further below. First let's take a more detailed look at the stages bedroom and home studios tend to go through:

3 Stages of Home Studio Setups:

1. The Just Getting Started Home Studio Setup

When you first want to learn how to produce music it makes no sense to buy a bunch of expensive studio equipment. You need to understand the basics of music production first and for that you don't need much.

You can get away with a laptop, a decent audio interface, some studio headphones and DAW.

2. The Beginner Bedroom Producer's Setup

Once you understand a bit more about music production and the gear involved it's time to make a leap. Now you want to take your music a bit more serious and add some studio monitors, a MIDI controller and possibly a few good microphones to your studio. This may also be a good time to find or build a better room and invest in some acoustic treatment.

3. The Someday Maybe Semi-Pro Home Studio Setup

This is the holy grail for most producers. A dedicated space with all the cow bells and whistles you need in your home studio.

This is where you may start filling up your studio racks with yummy analog boxes and build-out your own studio.

Your home studio set up can be painless, as long as you keep these guidelines below in mind before you start.

The 3 Top Home Studio Setup Considerations

1. Your Core Music Studio Equipment & Software

Some pieces of music production equipment are more essential than others. The 5 pieces of gear below makes a difference to your sound quality or workflow. It's always best to aim for the best possible quality you can afford when it comes to these core components of your DIY home studio setup:

1. A Music Recording ComputerThe
brains of most home studio setups. Read this post to find out more
about what to look for in your music production laptop or desktop system
to ensure smooth workflow in your home studio.

2. An Audio Interface or Pro Sound-CardConsumer
sound-cards won't get you the the results you need to produce
professional results in your home studio. You need a bit more power
under the hood. Enter the world of pro audio sound-cards and
interfaces.

4. A Pair of Pro Studio MonitorsWe
want a response and we want it flat! There are so many studio monitors
available that it can be hard to choose the first pair for your new
home studio. This post takes a look at what to look for in pro audio
monitors and gives a few choice recommendations for monitors for new
music producers on a tight-ish budget.

5. Recording MicrophonesYou
don't need a massive mic locker to start recording in your DIY home
studio. Learn about the different types of microphones available and
the basic mics you need to get started.

2. Your Studio Monitor Placement

Your DIY Home Studio Monitor Set Up (Article on Sound-on-Sound web site.)Really
bro? You got those tweeters pointing at your belly button? Lord have
mercy! Yes, monitor placement is often overlooked in home studios.
Good monitor placement that is. This article on SOS will ensure you
make most of your expensive new studio monitors.

3. Your Listening Environment

Get a Grip On Room AcousticsThe
best studio equipment makes absolutely no sense unless you have a good
listening environment. You may not have the budget for a custom studio
build-out but a bit of room treatment can go a long way. This post
takes a look at DIY home studio acoustical room treatment.

How to Buy Music Production Equipment

You can research recording studio equipment online with the search engines, manufacturer's web sites and music production web sites and forums. You can then compile your list and head out to your local music instrument store to test your top choices and obtain price quotes.

You can then go online again and compare the prices your local store gave with those of online music instrument stores.

This way you can either order the gear online should the price be better, or should the price not be much lower online, you can purchase from your local music store to support them.

Your home music studio will always be a work in progress and will grow as your music production skills grow and you expand your music career. Try to avoid the "my music would get better when I have [enter name of new studio toy]" trap. Remember, your studio is your workspace and your studio equipment serve as tools. You make the music. So, do the Music Equipment Reality Check.

Get the minimum viable DIY home studio equipment setup you need to make your own music, then learn to use it well before splashing out on new gear. Of course new toys are always fun. Knowing how to play with the ones you have can be even funner!

Need Some DIY Home Studio Setup Ideas & Inspiration?

You'll find home studio setups, from crammed to minimal, practical to quirky and cheap to pretty expensive on the RenegadeProducer.com's well-maintained Home Studio Setup Ideas and Inspiration board over at Pinterest:

Discover a Step-by-Step Workflow Overview for Electronic Music Production and Beat-Making With This Checklist & Video Workshop Walk-Through. Know How to Finish Tracks and How to Do It on a Consistent Basis!